"Gothic Summer" is easily one of San Diego's best summer music releases

Receive the latest sounddiego updates in your inbox

Dave Parley and Rafael Reyes, better known as Prayers, have done it again with an eye-catching black-and-white music video for their new single, "Gothic Summer."

The cholo-goth electronic duo from both sides of La Frontera take you for a ride on a '58 Chevy Fleetside lowrider truck, into the 'hood where life and death is real. But don't worry: Reyes' bodyguard, Sean, is in the back of the truck to protect ya neck. Despite the ominous song title and lyrics, the theme is brightened with the chorus being sung by Reye's real-life nieces and nephews. The heart-thumping electric keyboard intro grabs you by la oreja. It's a "Gothic Summer," baby.

Reyes, a veteran Sherman/Grant Hill Park gangster, sings about the brotherhood: "Esoteric tendencies, fire in my veins/If you ain't with us, then you're one of them/Known to fight for nothing/Known to fight for less/So many doing life/Yet the neighborhood forgets/ Santa Muerte, won't you sanctify their names?"

"Gothic Summer" is easily one of San Diego's best summer music releases. The video was shot at Mount Hope Cemetary, where Reyes' dad is buried. You can see Reyes paying respects to his father's tombstone, and his brother from another mother, Parley, comes to support him in his mourning. The brotherhood between Parley and Reyes is clear. Later, two groups of "little warriors" appear on opposing sides of the cemetery with water balloons to fight each other in good, clean fun. The video gives you a little bit of the 1979 flick "The Warriors" and the prophetic reflections of Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan. It serves as a good reminder that where there's turmoil or loss, there's an opportunity for people to come together …. and ride off into the sunset in a killer hydraulic lowrider truck to pick up ice-cold paletas in Chicano Park.

Watch the "Gothic Summer" video here. You can purchase Prayers' "Gothic Summer" EP here. Rafael Reyes will be signing his book "Living Dangerously" on Friday at SD ArtExpo at Wonder Bread Factory 121 14th St. from 5-6 p.m. Prayers will also have their music featured in the film, "Dark Progressivism: On Rupture to Rebellion"

Upcoming Concerts

Dita Quinones is a multimedia journalist born in Tijuana with a passion for Latin alternative and hip-hop music news. Her main goal is to uplift and inform so that the Latino, Filipino and hip-hop community get knitted into the fabric of American history. In addition to SoundDiego, she contributes to Latina, Fox News Latino, Poder, VidaVibrante, San Diego CityBeat and HipHopDx. She is also the founder of the infamous music and politrix blog GN$F! Follow Dita on Twitter or on Facebook.